Vehicle heater



SePt- 3, 1940 H. D. PINKERTON ET Al. 2,213,656

VEHICLE HEATER Filed March lO, 1939 `\"h lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l.

?aented Sept. 3, i946 UNITED STATES Parent ricerca Harry D. Pinkerton and Clarence S. Phenicie, Kansas City, Kans., assignors of one-third-to Ellsworth H. Munford, Kansas City, Mo.

Application March 1939, Serial No. 260,982

- :3` claims. (ol. 21o- 38j tially uniform pressure of the iuel pump included in the fuel supply system of the vehicle; to-provide a heater with a completely enclosedburner equipped with fuel vapcrizngl means eliecting initial vapor-ization and ignition of the fuel through an electrical resistance; to provide for disposal of .sengeriifompartment through a radiator unit n ...11,139.51ted by th'eproducts or combustion being drawn from .the vcombustionchamber; and to pro- .videior automatic operation of the circulating invention, as hereinafter pointed out, we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated lin the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. lis a partialside elevation of a motor vehicle equipped with a heater embodying the features of the present invention, the side portion of the vehicle being broken away to illustrate the heater installation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the heater on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the vaporizer and ian motor circuits in diagram.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuits.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a motor vehicle body having a passenger compartment 2 and an engine compartment 3 separated by a dash 4. The engine 5 is of the ordinary internal combustion type hav-l ing intake and exhaust manifolds 6 and "I, a carburetor 8, an air cleaner 9, and a fuel supply pump I8 as in conventional practice. The inlet of the pump I0 is connected by a fuel supply duct II leadng from a source of fuel supply usually contained in a tank carried at the rear of the vchicle, while the discharge connection of the pump isconnectedwby a-duct -I2 with the fuel intake of 3 pounds.

the carburetor. The pump I0 is operated by the engine 5 and supplies fuel through the pipe I2 at substantially constant pressure of approxmately The motor vehicle parts thus far described specilically form no part of the present invention but certain of the parts are utilized in ,combination with our improved heater, as now to 1be described.

'I'he heater illustrated includes a substantially rectangular casing I3 having front and rear walls I4-I5 connected by side walls IE5-I1, a top I8,

and a bottom I9. The iront and rear walls are of greater width than the side walls to form a relatively flat body adapted to be conveniently located under the cowl of the vehicle and attached to the dash by fastening devices such as stud bolts 20 and 2|, the stud bolts being of sufficient length to space the rear wall from the dash and provide room for accommodating a fan housing 22.

Formed in the front and rear `walls with their upper and lower edges spaced from the corresponding edgesthereof, are openings 23 and 24, and extending transversely between the upper and-lower edges of the openings are partitions 25 and 26 carrying spaced heating tubes or flues 21. The tubes 21 thus form a. radiator unit for heating the air in the passenger compartment that is circulated through the opening 24, through the spaces between the tubes, and discharged through the opening 23 by afan 28 which is actuated by an electrical motor 29. The motor 29 is mounted on a suitable bracket 30 carried in the fan housing 22. The fan housing is substantially in the form of a truncated cone and has air inlet openings 3I and 32 wherethrough air is drawn by the fan and discharged between the tubes of the radiator unit.

The partition 26 cooperates with the bottom I9 to form a burner chamber 33 at the bottom of the housing and the partition 25 cooperates with the top I8 to form a manifold 3E connecting the tubes with an outlet 35, the outlet 35 being connected by a pipe 36 with the air cleaner 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that when the motor is in operation suction created 4through the intake manifold draws spent products of combustion from the heater into the engine cylinders by way of the air cleaner and carburetor, as later described.

Enclosed in the burner chamber 33 is a burner 31 which may be of any suitable type but is here illustrated as comprising a hollow body substantially conforming to the horizontal cross-secti nal shape ofA theburner'chamber and havingl 55` an apertured top 38 forming burner jets which are supplied with fuel from a manifold 39 terminating at its inlet end in a. sump 40 whereby excess fuel is drained from the burner through a pipe 4| leading to any suitable source of disposal exteriorly of the compartment 2, for example, into the intake manifold 1. The sump 40 also has an air inlet port 46 for admission of primary air into the burner.

Extending through an opening 42 in the side of the casing and through an aligning opening 43 in the burner manifold is a fuel vaporizer 44 having a control valve 45 which connects with a fuel supply pipe 46 that connects with a T fitting 41 inserted in the pipe I2 whereby a portion of the fuel is supplied under pump pressure to the vaporizer. The pipe 46 is preferably provided with a valve 46 whereby the fuel supply may be cut off when the heater is removed from service. The vaporizer is heated when the burner is in opA eration by jets discharged through ports 48.

Sleeved on the vaporizer is an insulating tube 49 carrying an exposed resistance element 50. The resistance has one terminal grounded by means of a conductor 5I and the other terminal connected by a conductor 52 with a thermostatic switch 53 carried by a bracket 54-in heat conductive relation to the side of the housing. The switch 53 includes a fixed contact arm 55 which is normally engaged, when the heater is cold, by a thermostatic contact element 56 which is directly connected with the conductor 52. The switch also includes a similar thermostatic element 51 engageable with the contact arm 55 and which is connected by a conductor 58 with one of the terminals of the motor 29, the other terminal being connected by a conductor 59 with a ground connection 60. Current is supplied from the electrical system of the vehicle which includes a battery 6|, through a conductor 62 having connection with the arm 55. Inserted in the conductcr 62 is a manually operated switch 63 for controlling the respective circuits. The burner chamber is supplied with combustion supporting air through a pipe 64 extending through the dash and having its inlet located in the motor compartment. To facilitate installation and reduce the number of openings required to be made in the dash, the lines 4| and 46 preferably extend through the air inlet pipe 64 as shown in the drawing.

In operating a heater constructed and assembled in a motor vehicle as described, the thermostatic element 56 is normally engaged with the contact 55 and the thermostatic element 51 is normally disengaged from the contact 55. Therefore when the manual switch 63 is closed the motor circuit is broken but the resistance winding circuit is closed so that the current is effective in heating the resistance which in turn heats the vaporizing tube 44. Upon opening of the valve 45, fuel is passed through the tube which is vaporized by the heat or resistance and discharged as vapor into the manifold 39 of the burner where the vapor escapes through the jets into the combustion chamber and is ignited by the exposed resistance which by this time is substantially incandescent.

As heat is generated in the burner chamber, suflicient combustion supporting air is drawn through the pipe 64 so that all of the burner jets become effective in heating the tubing of the radiator, the products of combustion passing upwardly through the tubes for collection in the manifold 34 and discharging through suction of the motor by way of the pipe 36. As soon as the tubes are heated sufliciently to heat the elements of the thermostatic switch, the element 56 moves away from the contact 55 to break circuit tothe resistance winding, however, by this time the vaporizer is sufliciently heated through flames directed thereon by gas passing through small jets 48 in the bottom of the burner. The element 51, upon being heated, engages the contact 55 to energize the motor which effects rotation of the fan to circulate air through the radiator, the air being drawn through the openings 3l and 32 and discharged through the opening 24 through the spaces between the tubes where the air is heated by contact with the tube surfaces and discharged through the opening 23 into the passenger compartment. 'Ihe air is thus kept circulating through the heated radiator so that a comfortable temperature is soon reached in the compartment.

In case the burner should flood, the excess fuel is withdrawn through the pipe 4l into the intake manifold. If desired, this pipe may be drained to the ground; however, we have found by actual practice it is most desirable to connect it with the intake manifold.

From the foregoing it is obvious that we have provided a burner type vehicle heater which is of simple and inexpensive construction and is of safe operation in that it is impossible for any of the products of combustion to escape into the passenger compartment, the products of combustion being drawn into the engine and being consumed along with the fuel .in the combustion cylinders.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vehicle heater including enclosed burner and manifold chambers and tubes connecting the chambers, an air inlet tube leading to the burner chamber, an outlet duct connected with the manifold chamber and adapted to be connected with the fuel intake system of a vehicle in which the heater is installed whereby the suction effected in said system creates a draft through the air inlet tube into the burner chamber and through the connecting tubes to the manifold chamber and from the manifold chamber through said outlet duct, a burner in the burner chamber having a fuel collecting sump, means supplying fuel to the burner, and a duct connected with the sump and adapted to be connected with the fuel intake system of the vehicle.

2. A heater including a radiator, a burner for heating said radiator, a vaporizer, means supplying fuel to the vaporizer, an electrical heater for initially heating the vaporizer, a circuit for suD- plying current to said electrical heater, a fan for moving air to be heated through the radiator, a motor for the fan, a circuit for the motor, and a thermostatic switch located in the heat zone of the heater and common to both of said circuits for opening the heater circuit and closing the motor circuit when the heater reaches a predetermined temperature.

3. A heater including a radiator, a burner for heating said radiator, a vaporizer, means supplying fuel to the vaporizer, an electrical heater for initially heating the vaporizer, a` circuit for supplying current to said electrical heater, a thermostatic element located in the heat zone of the heater for opening the circuit when the heater reaches a predetermined temperature, a fan for circulating air through the radiator, a motor for operating the fan, a motor circuit connecting the motor with the lrst named circuit, and athermostatic element in said last named circuit for closing said motor circuit when the heater reach- .es a predetermined temperature.

4. A vehicle heater including a housing having enclosed burner and mainfold chambers, tubes connecting said chambers, an air inlet tube leading to the burner chamber, an outlet duct connected with the manifold chamber and adapted to be connected with the fuel intake system of a. vehicle engine for carrying oi spent products of combustion, a burner in the burner chamber, and means supplying fuel to the burner.

5. In combination with the carburetor and the fuel pump of a motor vehicle, a heater including a housing having an enclosed burner chamber and a manifold chamber, tubes connecting said chambers, an air inlet tube leading to the burner chamber, an outlet duct connected with manifold chamber for carrying spent products of combustion to the carburetor, a burner in the burner chamber, and a duct connecting the discharge of the fuel pump with the burner.

6. A heater including a housing having enclosed burner and manifold chambers, tubes con-v necting said chambers, an air inlet tube leading to the burner chamber, an outlet duct connected with the manifold chamber for carrying spent products of combustion, a burner inthe burner chamber, a vaporizer. for said burner, means supplying fuel to the vaporizer, electrical means for initially heating the vaporizer and for ignitingthe vapors issuing from the burner to heat said connecting tubes, means including an electric motor driven fan for circulating air around said connecting tubes, circuits supplying electric current to the heater and motor, and thermostatlc elements in said circuits for respectively opening the electric heater circuit and closing the motor circuit.

7. In combination with a motor vehicle engine having a carburetor for supplying a fuel mixture under suction responsive to operation of said en-' gine, a heater having manifold and burner chambers and tubes connecting the chambers, a. fuel burner in the burner chamber, means supplying fuel to the burner, and means connecting the manifold chamber with the carburetor for cre-f ating a draft from the burner chamber throughx the tubes to remove the spent products of com# bustion resulting from operation of said burner.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a heater including a radiator having fluelike'tubes, burner and manifold chambers con' nected by said tubes, a burner in the burner chamber for heating said tubes, and means for creating draft from the burner chamber through the tubes and manifold chamber responsive to suction eiected by said engine.

HARRY D. PINKERTON. CLARENCE S. PHENICIE. 

